Eating on the Cheap in College

How to Eat Well at the University Without Breaking the Bank

Aug 17, 2009 Sarah Spiker

Ditch the Ramen noodles! Even the hungriest of students can eat well without breaking the bank. All it takes is a little willingness to spend time working on a meal.

There is a common mis-perception held by university students that the only way to eat food on the cheap is to invest in packs of salty, dried foods. While these items do indeed fit a slim budget, they don't provide all the nutrients needed for healthy living - and they certainly don't provide a savory experience for the pallet. A few tips on cooking and living well can help a student to live a lobster lifestyle on a noodle budget.

Avoid Fast Food to Stay Healthy and Save Money

Fast food has an enticing allure of being low-cost; most fast-food chains have a dollar menu that boast items which one can purchase with nothing but a portrait of George Washington. These dollar menu items, however, are decreasing in size, and are initially filling but provide little in the way of genuine nutrition.

The trap that many people can fall into is to think that a fast food restaurant is low in cost because of the low price of items on the menu while failing to notice that they are purchasing lots of said items. Grocery shopping can help to make each meal cost as low as three dollars - less than many would end up spending in the drive-through. Then there's the added factor of the health risks associated with eating too much fried food. Over the course of one's life, eating too much fast food can put a dent in the pocket book.

Eat Fresh from Grocery Stores and Cook Your Own Food

It's easy for fresh foods to seem more expensive than dried or boxed foods at first. However, because fresh foods are often water-laden and full of calories, they are usually more filling than said boxed foods, which can disappear in a single study session. Eating fresh also forces a student to cook his or her food before eating it. This reduces the number of snacking sessions which can subtly make a box of Goldfish disappear in an afternoon.

Eating fresh does require a little bit more discipline than eating other prepared foods such as noodles. Since fresh foods perish at an increased rate, a new college student may need some time adjusting to the need for keeping track of food in the fridge. Then again, this practice is yet another way that student can be prepared for life in the adult world. Is it, then, really a drawback?

When going grocery shopping, you can save even more money by following the advice found in this article.

Go Vegetarian; Eating Produce Costs Less Than Meat

Meat is an essential part of the human diet, yes. However, three cheeseburgers a day is an amount far beyond the recommended daily serving. Cutting back on meats can boost the budget by a sizable amount; some cuts of meat can run six dollars a pound compared to produce, which may be as low as thirty-five cents a pound. Since certain produce items, such as grapes or nectarines also lasts longer under refrigeration than meat, one trip to the grocery store may be all a student needs in a single week. Fewer trips means less gas spent, as well as less temptation to splurge on something silly like overpriced snacks.

Live a Little; You are Entitled to Enjoy Variety.

Don't be afraid to eat something nice every once in a while- spending a premium on that delicious-looking lobster just once may seem more expensive in the short run, but these personal rewards can decrease the urge to go on a major splurge at a later point in time. Living like a monk can be taxing on the body, and nobody should feel shame in actually enjoying a good meal every once in a while. Simply be sure that these fancier courses are accounted for in the personal budget- the last thing anybody needs is a surprise when checking their bank accounts at the ATM.

Be sure to set aside one day of the week for "finer dining" - whether it be a trip to a sit-down restaurant or the purchase of a premium grocery item, this day of the week is something to look forward to, and makes the low-cost living of the other days bearable.

The life of a college student is usually a life of cutting corners, but it doesn't have to be a life of eating the same types of foods non-stop. With a little discipline and some savvy shopping, anybody can be sure that their college experience is an experience fueled by good meals and healthy nutrition.

The copyright of the article Eating on the Cheap in College in Personal Budgeting/Finance is owned by Sarah Spiker. Permission to republish Eating on the Cheap in College in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Fresh Vegetables, Fruits and other foodstuffs.